THE TEMPEST (Shakespeare Happy Hours)*****

 

By Tommy

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwqy-ADZvj0&t=5s

Available until: Unknown

No doubt I will be forcibly (and rightly) corrected if I am wrong again, but I believe this is the only Shakespeare Happy Hours production I haven’t yet watched. Not all have been reviewed as the idea of Mobile Theatre was not conceived until many of us had already watched approximately half of the plays, and with the high volume of online theatre currently still available, it would be impractical to attempt to go back and review everything at this stage. But this seems to be our last of an excellent series.

It is a considerable privilege to be entrusted with the final review (though, if I may say so, we have not completely given up hope of a Series 2).

One particular pleasure is that the casts are based around a particular group of actors and while there are some who seem to have appeared in just a few performances, the main body of the group have been part of the series throughout its duration. It has been a truly wonderful experience to get to know these fine actors and to have the opportunity to see them playing so many different roles, showing the depth and breadth of their talent, whether in tragedy, comedy, romance or even cannibalism.

The Tempest is yet another excellent performance, with the cast at their considerable best. There is a certain excitement in reading the cast list and anticipating how a particular actor will play a given role, but while it is possible to predict with certainty that a performance will be extremely good, it is more difficult to know how an actor will interpret their characters and that is part of the excitement.

Montgomery Sutton is an outstanding Prospero. He shows that it is possible to convey power, presence and authority without always shouting or showing aggression. There are also some fascinating insights into the character when Prospero shows unexpected vulnerability.

Cloetal Horne is a mature and intelligent Miranda and clearly not the child Prospero believes her to be. She speaks Miranda’s lines with passion, confidence and conviction. Dhruv Iyengar has always made a particular impression as the more unusual characters so it was very interesting to see him as an ardent and sincere, if sometimes understandably confused, Ferdinand. Kara Arena is a cheerful and delightful Ariel and she sings beautifully.

Deb Radloff and Deb Kinghorn, who were impressive together as Henry VI and Queen Margaret, also work closely in The Tempest and they again have a most enjoyable onstage rapport, this time as Sebastian and Antonio. There is, on this occasion, no hint of romance, but the connection between the actors makes their scenes particularly strong. Natasha Magigi, so gifted in comedy roles, here shows her versatility as a gentle and serious Gonzalo.

There are many ways of playing Caliban and Alex Hernandez’s performance is extraordinary. He is a primitive, animalistic Caliban, speaking his lines in a guttural and menacing growl. Even sitting at a computer screen, his posture displays his aggression and anger in an unnerving and truly remarkable performance. This Caliban truly does seem to be a monster and Mr Hernandez is fascinating to watch.

There is a good deal of magic in The Tempest and this production has some imaginative and inventive effects, but the stars are undeniably the actors. Magnificent.